In this short-run era, where a third of all jobs have run lengths of just 250 sheets, how are sheetfed offset presses faring? Industry observer Frank Romano offers his view.

By Frank Romano

Run Lengths Dropping Fast

Printers tell us that the days of 10,000 to 50,000 runs on their sheetfed presses are pretty much gone. There are still some jobs in that run length range but they are harder to find. All run lengths are shifting downward as print buyers specify shorter runs, and often reprint the job, perhaps multiple times—in place of one longer run.